The Hundred Word Challenge
by IFYOUCOULDFLY
Summary: My attempt at the 100 Word Challenge! A lot of Darklina, but pretty much everything else as well, so leave suggestions. My first Grisha fanfic :) WARNING: SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1 AND 2!
1. Dream

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! So this is the first fanfiction I've written for the Grisha Trilogy, and the first one I've written in...well, a ****_long _****time. I'm busier than I'd ever even thought ****_possible_****, so for anyone that's following me and really really pissed I haven't done anything, I'm sorry. I really am.**

**But for anyone else, hey! This'll be my attempt of the 100 word challenge! Most of these will probably be Darklina, because I'm just in love with that couple, but really I'll write just about anything, so leave suggestions!**

**MAJOR SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1 AND 2! Also, disclaimer: I DON'T AND NEVER WILL OWN THE GRISHA TRILOGY!**

**Anyways, read on!**

**-DREAM-**

I was buried deep in the sheets of the Darkling's bed at the Little Palace.

I kept trying to get comfortable, but his scent was everywhere, hanging in the room as a constant reminder of him. I groaned and flipped over on my back, staring at the mahogany ceiling.

"I remeber smelling him."

My stupid mind blurted. _"By the lake, when he kissed." _

I mentally slapped myself. Making out with the Darkling was _not _what I was supposed to be thinking right now. Unfortunately, once I had started, I couldn't stop. Every word, every touch, every brushing of our lips flashed through my head, drawing tears to my eyes.

"How could I be so stupid?" I whispered to myself, blinking in a feeble attempt to clear my eyes. "Why would I let him manipulate me like that? Was I that desperate, that I'd actually think he loved me?"

"Oh, how wrong you are Alina."

I shot up, my heart jumping.

Across the room, sitting comfortably in a leather chair, was the silhouette of the Darkling.

"W-what are you doing here?" I asked stupidly, heart racing.

His shadowy form remained still. An eary silence filled the air.

I opened my mouth to shout for help, or maybe even for conformation that this _wasn't _just a hallucination, that they could see him too. I never got the opportunity.

I wasn't sure how the Darkling got to the side of my bed, but he was there all of a sudden, and his finger was pressed against my lips.

"No need for that, now. Just here to chat."

I gasped sharply, smacking his hand away.

"What do you want?" I hissed, glaring at him through the darkness, and he simply chuckled. I could make out the image of his face, hauntingly perfect. Chills ran down my spine.

"That's the Alina I know. Sharp tongue, sharper than it should be, really. For your sake, I hope it dulls over time. Yet at the same time..."

He moved closer to me, and for some reason, I didn't bother to push him away.

"...that's part of what I admire about you. You're unique, different, beautiful. Despite what you may think, Alina, I do care. I always have."

And suddenly, his lips were pressed against mine. I wanted to push away, to smack him, to run away. To Mal. But some part of me wouldn't let that happen. That part of me kept kissing the man that had tortured me, broken me, tried to destroy all I'd ever known.

The _really_ weird thing? I enjoyed it.

Then I realized just what was happening.

"THIS IS THE DARKLING, ALINA!"

My mind screamed, and I jerked away.

He was looking at me, a smile-no, a smirk-spread across his face.

Anger bubbled up in my stomach.

"What...how dare...I ..." I stumbled, and the Darkling laughed.

"What am I doing here? How dare I randomly appear in your rooms and kiss you?" He suggested, staring at me evenly as I blushed.

"Well, first of all, these _are _my rooms. And as to why I'm here and why I randomly kissed you?" He shrugged. "No idea. Sometimes, I elude even myself. But what I said was true, Alina. I honestly did fall in love with you, as much as you with me. If only you hadn't betrayed me."

And with that, he was gone. No _poof_, no flash of light, just _gone_. If I'd blinked, I would have missed it.

I fell back into the bed, sinking into the sheets.

"What did he mean,

I betrayed him_?" _I thought as my pounding heart began to slow down.

A minute passed. Another.

"A dream."

I concluded. _"Or a hallucination." _

Yet as my mind wandered into darkness, lulled to sleep by the Darkling's scent, I knew that wasn't true.

**A/N: Soooo...you like? I don't know about this chappie, it was super OOC for both of them I think, but OOCness is fine by me, as long as it's not too extreme.**

**Also, PLEASE REVIEW! It really helps me out a lot! I'm really busy, so I'd like to know if this is really something I should devote my time to. I certainly like doing this, but if you guys don't, I'll want some feedback!**

**Anyways, keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


	2. Make-up

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY!...So...it's um...been a while...*hides behind desk***

**Okay so I'm reeeaaaallllyyy sorry about my absence and everything, but life has been waaaaay busy ;-; Plus, on top of that, I've been having some errors with my account. As in, one of my stories won't let me make updates. I tried deleting the story and starting over, but that won't work either...sooo yeah that kinda sucks :(**

**But anyways, I'm here now, and I'm ready to start writing :D Go ahead, read on!**

**AS ALWAYS, SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1 AND 2**

**-Make-up-**

To say that I've changed a lot in the past few years would be the understatement of the century.

I've become the Sun Summoner, fallen in love with somebody who was actually trying to use me to take over the world, killed a group of partially innocent bystanders, run from the Grisha with my best friend, been captured and escaped, become friends with a prince, become the leader of the Grisha, battled the Darkling, and won.

I had changed a _lot._

But one thing that remained a constant was my distaste for altering my physical appearance. That, of course, eliminated the possibility of makeup.

Until now.

I don't know why I did it, but when Genya wandered into the Grisha hall, frozen half to death and starving, I forgave her.

Now, nearly one month later, I was regretting my decision.

"Hold _still_." Genya giggled, back to her old self just like that.

I resisted the urge to scowl, knowing that would make her smudge whatever goop she was slopping on my face. It probably looked bad enough anyways.

"You know, I never agreed to this." I mumbled moodily, and Genya grinned, perfect ivory teeth flashing back at me.

"You're not exactly protesting, are you? Besides, you'll need to look good for this celebration. Everyone will be there. Townsfolk...soldiers..._princes_." Her perfect eyebrows shifted, mischief flashing in her golden eyes.

I could feel heat creeping up my neck as I glared at her. "Shut _up_, Genya." I muttered, clenching my jaw as she laughed. "I didn't say anything." She retorted in mock innocence, and I growled, causing her to laugh again.

"Oh, come _on_, Alina. You've got to admit, he definitely fancies you. And he's a _prince_. Think about it. _Princess Alina_. It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

I knew I was all-out blushing my now, as confirmed by another burst of giggles from Genya.

"Ugh, just _stop_. Besides, Mal and I only...split...a couple weeks ago. Even if we _did _like each other, it's too soon for a relationship. People would think-"

"Alina, you're the SUN SUMMONER, savior of Ravka, and you're worried about what people may think about your _relationships_?!" Genya interrupted, jerking open a tube of lipstick with a sudden _pop_.

I gulped, letting a little grin play at the corners of my lips.

"Well, when you put it that way, it sounds pretty stupid."

Genya let out another laugh as she wiped the lipstick across my mouth.

About halway through the motion, she paused. "You know, Alina, I missed being your friend. I really did. And I'm sorry."

I paused for a moment, then smiled at her softly. "I missed being friends too, Genya. Now hurry up, all those uptight political snobs can't be kept waiting."

She giggled again, sincerity forgotten, and finished up on my makeup, saying, "Arguably, you're one of those 'uptight political snobs' now, too."

I rolled my eyes.

Finally, she stood back, smiling broadly as she admired her work.

"Oh, Alina," Genya breathed, "look at yourself!" She held up a mirror for me, and I felt my eyes widen.

My eyes, which had always seemed nothing more than a dull brown, seemed to glow like embers, framed by long black lashes. Framing my eye was a thin ring of smoky black eyeshadow, following my eyeliner out into a wing shape, and fading into a light bronze as it reaching the tips of the wing.

My cheeks were slightly pink, a gentle flush, giving me a slightly more youthful look. My lips were tinted a soft pink color, matching that of the blush.

The dress Genya had chosen for me was gorgeous. It was a vibrant blue, simple but elegant. Little jewels lined the neckline, a few trailing down the flowing skirt that fell to the floor in swirls. It was perfect.

It was a strange feeling. I had thought I would look in the mirror and see somebody totally different, and it would feel wrong. I may have been right about the different part, but it certainly didn't feel wrong. In fact, I kind of liked it.

After a moment or two, I turned to Genya. "Thank you," I said, pulling her into a quick hug.

Once we broke apart, she flashed a mischevious grin at me. "Ready to celebrate?"

I returned her grin this time. "Definitely."

* * *

The palace's ballroom was full of people, ranging from peasants to royalty, all dressed in their finest clothing.

I had appeared, given a brief speech, and then been tossed into the organized chaos of the banquet. I was currently using my favorite technique, hiding in the corner, which didn't seem to work very well when every two seconds half the ballroom would turn to stare at you.

I was just about ready to think of some lame excuse as to why I had to leave when I felt somebody tap my shoulder.

"Having a good time?"

I spun around to see, of couse, Nikolai.

He looked so casual, standing there in his formal suit, golden hair hanging in waves against his tanned skin. He wore a familiar smile, caught somewhere between a smirk and a grin, etched upon his face.

"Yes." I managed, and he scoffed. "Liar."

I laughed, and this seemed to please him. "Well, as long as we're telling the truth here, I myself am bored half to death. Want to dance?"

I glanced at him in surprise, my heart skipping a beat for a moment. After a moment, I nodded.

"Of course." I replied with a smile, placing my hand in his outstretched one and letting him lead me to the center of the room.

For a few minutes, we danced, swaying around the ballroom wordlessly. I felt like I needed to say something, but had no idea what. That night we had spent on the ship kept looping in my mind, our kiss, his rejection, my sorrow.

Finally, he broke the silence himself.

"You know that night on the ship, when I told you I didn't want to be with you if you were just using me to get over Mal?"

I nearly froze, my heart just about stopping, then beating a million miles per hour. "...yes?" I finally managed.

"Well, are you over Mal?" Nikolai, asked, deadly sincere. His normally joking demeanor was long gone.

"Um...I-I think I am." A short silence passed over us before I shook my head. "No. No, I'm over him. He made his decision to be with Zoya, and I'm fine with that. I think we were always better off as we always had been, as best friends. And I think that's all we ever will be."

A minute passed as we swung around the ballroom, Nikolai seemingly lost in thought. Suddenly, he broke the silence again.

"You know what I think?" He asked, staring off at something in the distance.

I glanced up at him. "What?"

He lowered his eyes so they were locked with mine, and my heartbeat went crazy again.

"I think you look beautiful tonight."

And suddenly, his lips were on mine.

I was aware that every eye in the room was on us, but that didn't matter to me. All I cared about at that moment was this kiss.

And at that moment, I decided maybe makeup wasn't such a bad thing after all.

**A/N: Awww hehe fun. I thought I'd try to write a little Nikolina (or whatever they're called), and I have to say they're fun to write. The quality may be questionable, seeing as I'm writing this at 1:00 am because I can't sleep, but oh well :)**

**Anyways, thanks sooo much to everyone that reviewed and followed this story! It helps me a lot, and your reviews always make me smile :D So keep on reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


	3. Dye

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! So, as usual, thanks sooooo much to everyone that reviewed and followed, it means a lot to me :) But never mind that, let's leave all the sappiness for later ;) That being said, go ahead and read on!**

**-Dye-**

**(Mal's POV)**

Alina weaves through the maze of hallways in the orphanage, and I'm right on her heels.

She makes a sharp turn, putting some distance between us, and she bursts through the front door and out into the open air.

"Can't catch me!" Alina taunts giddily, but she's panting hard. She'll have to slow down eventually.

A few moments pass, our breaths rasping through the afternoon air, feet drumming against the ground. Finally, she makes the mistake I'd been waiting for; she slows down slightly.

I seize the chance and boost my speed, crashing my outstretched palm into her bony shoulder, and we tumble to the earth.

We're laughing even before we hit the ground, and we lie in the grass for what seems like hours, giggling hysterically.

Finally, our laughter fades, and glance over at Alina.

The afternoon sun hits her long, dark hair, making it glow.

I wrinkled my eyebrows. "Alina?" I ask.

"What?" She replies. "Why don't people have purple hair? Or green? Or _blue_?" I ask, and she rolls her eyes.

"Because that would be dumb." She responds sarcastically.

My eyes widen. In the world of a seven-year-old, "dumb" is a pretty bad word.

"It would _not _be dumb!" I argue, suddenly defensive about my idea. "Yes, it _is _dumb!" She retorts, and I growl angrily.

"You're mean!" I cry, glaring at her, and she sticks her tongue out defiantly, standing up abruptly and stalking away towards the orphanage.

I sit in the grass for a while, scowling at the dirt, until something catches my eye. Across the cobblestone street, a man at the marketplace is selling paint to a local artist.

I grin evilly, knowing Alina will be sorry she stuck her tongue out at Malyen Orestev.

* * *

**(Alina's POV)**

Rays of sunlight washed over my face as I cracked my eyelids open. I yawned, sitting upright and stretching my arms.

My stomach growled, and I decided to head downstairs to see what Ana Kuya had for breakfast. I entered the room to see Mal who, upon my entrance, snorted and looked away. I frowned. Surely he wasn't still angry about yesterday? It was just a stupid argument...

Suddenly, I heard a scream, jolting me from my thoughts. I looked up at Ana's face, her eyes wide and mouth gaping.

"A-alina, what did you do to your _hair_?!" She screeched, still staring at me like I had burst into flames.

"My hair?" I asked, swiveling my head to glance at the nearby mirror hanging on the wall.

My expression changed to meet Ana Kuya's own.

I heard Mal's hysterical guffaws from his seat in the room. I was going to kill him. Swear to the Saints, I was going to kill him.

Mal had turned my hair _blue_.

A/N: So, how'd you like it? I thought I'd do something different from a romance fic, and I felt like writing this, so I did. Yolo. Nevermind don't say that ever seriously just no ok

Ummmmm yeah so that's that. Again, thanks to all my reviewers and followers and stuff :) As always, keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY


	4. Pretty

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! Sooooo yeah. Again, thanks to all the reviewers, you guys help me a loootttt! So it's been a looong week and it's still not Friday, and I was in the mood for some Darklina, something short and sweet, so here you go :) Read on!**

***SPOILERS FOR SHADOW AND BONE***

**-Pretty-**

The Darkling was capable of understanding far more than the average mind.

He was the essence of darkness itself, the entire world's mysteries unlocked to him, the universe's greatest wonders at his very fingertips.

The Darkling was able to understand the works of magic, and logic, and just about everything in between. But somehow, Alina Starkov managed to puzzle him.

He just couldn't understand why she thought so _lowly_ of herself.

All the Grisha that wandered the halls of the Little Palace were brimming with self-confidence. In fact, that was an understatement. Each and every one of them figured they were just about the greatest beings to ever exist in the universe.

But Alina was different. While the other girls grinned like fools into the mirror, she simply frowned at her reflection. The others would prance around, flirting with anything and everyting that breathed, while she hung back in the corners and stared at the ground.

Equally as puzzling was the fact he even bothered to notice these things. For the Saint's sakes, he was the _Darkling_. He shouldn't be paying attention to the rugged edges of her fingernails, where she'd bitten away the tips, or the little creases that appeared between her eyebrows when she was thinking, or the way she smiled, always a closed-lipped grin.

But he did notice these things. He, the Darkling, the head of the Grisha, the _Black Heretic himself_, couldn't really piece together what he was feeling.

One thing he was sure of was that it hurt _him_, the _Darkling, _who had hardly ever experienced even _physical_ pain, to see her judging herself so harshly.

Each time he looked over to see that expression on her face, that broken look in her eyes, it hurt him.

Alina didn't think she was pretty.

He did.

**A/N: Haha yeah, when I said short little Darklina, I really meant _short little Darklina_. Still, I enjoyed writing it, and I hope you guys enjoyed reading it ^-^**

**So, four chappies down, only 96 to go...fun...**

**Haha really though thanks soooo much to everyone that has been supporting me so far, and keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


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